Put a Stop to Nerve Injuries Called Stingers

Body-jarring moves are part of the game for football players, wrestlers, and others
who play contact sports. They're also the most common cause of stingers, painful electrical
sensations radiating through one of the arms. These painful injuries affect the nerves
in the neck and shoulders, or those in the neck that branch off from the spinal cord.

Stingers occur when the shoulder and head go in opposite directions, the head is moved
quickly to one side, or the area above the collarbone is hit. The injury occurs when
a spinal nerve in the neck is compressed as the head accelerates backward and the
neck is forced toward the affected side. Stingers may also be caused when the head
accelerates sideways, away from the shoulder, which overstretches the nerves in the
neck and shoulder region.

You may feel a sudden burning or stinging pain in your arm or between your neck and
shoulder. Your shoulder or arm may be tingly, weak, or numb. It also may feel like
electrical sensations are radiating down one of your arms. Symptoms rarely last more
than a few seconds or minutes.

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away. Untreated stingers
can get better, but nerve damage and muscle weakness can linger. After you have a
stinger, another similar injury is more likely. Multiple stingers cause permanent
nerve damage and weakness.

Typically, stingers affect only one side of the body, although multiple injuries can
affect both sides. Pain that occurs simultaneously in both arms after a neck injury
may reflect damage to the spinal cord. These symptoms need further medical evaluation
to address the extent of injury.

The pain and muscle weakness caused by stingers typically are treated with ice, then
with anti-inflammatory medicine and heat. You also need to rest until symptoms go
away. If the pain lasts more than a few weeks, your doctor may order more tests to
assess nerve damage. You may need a cervical collar to prevent more nerve irritation,
traction to relieve pressure on nerves, or injections of cortisone to reduce inflammation.

You shouldn't play again until:

Your healthcare provider has evaluated the spine and neck and clears your for activity.

The pain is gone

You have full range of motion in your neck

Your playing technique and equipment should be reviewed to see if improvements can
protect you from further injury. If you've had a stinger, don't get "burned" again.
Strengthening your neck muscles or correcting chronic problems with your posture is
the best way to help prevent future injury.